San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-06-23
Diogenes.

Editor LIGHT:
Many centuries ago there lived man
named Diogenes, who was, in many re-
spects, the most singular and indie pen
dent man of whom history makes men
ton, and who throughout the long tract
OF time has never been equalled, or sur
passed. Homer has had various rivals
in the fire of poetic genius and sublimi-
~ of discriptiOn-indeed, many are of
opinion that Milton surpassed him-the
world has been astonished at its ScipiO's,
its AleXanders, its C9sOrs, its TURBINES,
its Marlborough's, and its Napoleon, but
DiOgnes has never had either peer, q
rival, or an imitator.
He was born at SinOpe, in Pontus, in
Asia Minor; an out of the way town,
without gas, sewers, electric lights,
street railroads, saloons, prOhibitiOnists,
news papers and hacks. SinOpe could
not even boast of a pOstCilice. Its te-
males neither wore cOrsets, or bustles,
Mother Hubbords or stockings. They
had no cologne, nor hair brushes. The
dudes of Sinope had but one suit of
clothes, and that consisted of one gar
ment.
Diogenes becoming short of money,
and being of an inventive turn and of an
lplbS bpllIls u lOb
of money, but as he put too much alloy
in it, it was soon discovered to be
spurious. Had he lived in the year
1887, he would have robbed railroad
train-or made a corner in wheat, or
insured his tub and then set fire to il, or
married rich woman. The people of
Sinope were awfully stirred up
when they discovered that Diogenes had
been cOunterfeitiDg money, ard they
sentenced him to Punishment from
SinOpe. DiOgenes was not at all dis.
composed or distressed at being ban
ished from SinOpe, but said to the citi-
zens: "You Danish me from SinOpe,
Danish you from.all the world and sem
tenCe you to remain in SinOpe."
DiOgenes went from Sinope to Athens
and resolved that he would henceforth
be philosopher. So he applied to An
tisthenes, the founder of the sect of
cynics, for instruction. So stability was
Diogenes dressed that Antisthenes felt
scandaliZed at the idea of having him
in his school, and beat him with his
stick, in the true oynic style, but Do
genes bore the beating with unruffled
cOmpOsure, and said: "StrIke me, Antis-
themes, but never shall you find a stick
sufficiently hard to drive me from your
plCbNhOO hllC luClC 10 al lIluR ~ Dt
learnt from your conversation" Learn
ing was scarce in this age, and philoso-
pliers Of the cynical sect treated their
scholars like they were dogs.
DiOgenes was animated by q sovereign
contempt for riches, and led the life of
vagrant, subsisting upon aims, carrying
the tub, in which he slept. on his head
and doing in the sunshine. He was the
prince OF tramps, an inCOrrigible va
grant, a scOtfer and snarler. Alexander
the Great once visited him in his tub,
and asked him II there was anything he
could do to crafty him. Get out of
my sunshine" replied the philosopher.
Alexander was so much struck with the
Independence shown by DiOgenes that
he told his courtiers: "If he was not
Alexander he would wish to be Do
genes" which showed that Alex
ander felt that Diogenes was real
ly happier by means of his con-
tempt of riches and the baubles
OF ambition than he was with all his
power. DiOgenes made no pretensiOns
to virtue, In fact, he possessed no virtue
at all, but INDUCED himself in the most
beastly pleasures, even in public, and
ridiculed and laughed at all forms of re-
ligiOD, eXtant in his time, without meas
ure or stint. He held the soul TO be
mortal, yet he voluntarily lived life of
hardship and poverty and despised rich
es and honors. If the man with the
fewest wants was the happiest, DiOgenes
was the happiest man who ever lived,
since he lived upon aims and slept in
tub. There were no laws then against
vGgrancy, otherwise DiOgenes would
have had a hard time Of it. IL likely
the phraze, "a tale of tub, 1.-THE origin of
which has given rise to considerable
discussion, originated from the tales
told by Diogenes, as he lOlled in his tub
in the sunshine. House rent never both
cred him for moment, since his tub
constituted his house.
He lived to the age Of ninety-six years,
and died full Of cynicism and ferOcity.
When his friends asked what should be
done with him after death, he replied,
"Why, throw my body out in the field!"
what to be eaten by birds and beasts?r
asked his friends. mo; place cudgel
by me with which to defend myself"
answered DiOgenes. ITO what pur-
pose" said his friends, "yOu will not
have any sense, or power Of making use
of It," Then, If the beasts devOur me,
shall be sensible Of it p replied Dioge-
mes. He evidently agreed in the opinion
that was expressed by StatilIus when he